chapter 13- we the people
A homeowner who owes more on the mortgage than the mortgaged property is worth is referred to as owning a home that is
"underwater."
Which three government programs aid the working poor
Affordable care act earned income tax credit. Supplemental nutrition assistance program
36. What important noncontributory program was abolished by Congress in 1996?
Aid to Families with Dependent Children
What important noncontributory program was abolished by Congress in 1996?
Aid to Families with Dependent Children
What does it mean to say that Americans are "philosophical conservatives and operational liberals"?
Americans disapprove of activist government in the abstract but are generally supportive of specific government programs.
17. What do public opinion polls reveal about welfare policies?
Americans view welfare beneficiaries as "undeserving"
What do public opinion polls reveal about welfare policies?
Americans view welfare beneficiaries as "undeserving."
35. A cost of living adjustment is based on the...
Rate of inflation
What was the reason behind Progressive-era welfare for single mothers?
Reformers wanted women to stay home with their children rather than go to work.
Which president warned the nation to beware of the powerful "military-industrial complex" as he was leaving office?
Eisenhower
Food stamps and Medicaid are both forms of contributory programs.
FALSE
Government attempts to manipulate the economy by using its taxing and spending powers are called...
Fiscal policies
The power to raise or lower the tax rate is part of
Fiscal policy
10. Which statement is the key argument of John Maynard Keynes?
Government can pull an economy out of a recession by stimulating demand and creating a cycle of increased production and jobs
Which statement is the key argument of John Maynard Keynes?
Government can pull an economy out of a recession by stimulating demand and creating a cycle of increased production and jobs.
The united states welfare state was constructed initially in response to
Great Depression
What was the result of the efforts to reform health care in the United States in 1994?
Health care reform met resistance and no bill was voted on by Congress.
Which of the following groups are more than twice as likely as other Americans to be below the poverty line?
Single mothers
Which of the following social policies is most costly to the government?
Social Security
After the election of 2004, President George W. Bush announced that _____ would be the centerpiece of his domestic policy.
Social Security reform
After the election of 2004, President George W. Bush announced that ______ would be the centerpiece of his domestic policy.
Social Security reform
4. ________ are government grants of cash or other valuable commodities, such as land, that are used to promote activities desired by government leaders.
Subsidies
26. Which program was designed to help augment the benefits to the aged, blind, and disabled?
Supplemental Security Income
Which program was designed to help argument the benefits to the aged, blind, and disabled?
Supplemental Security Income
Which program was designed to help augment the benefits to the aged, blind, and disabled?
Supplemental Security Income
The Great Depression altered American attitudes about the causes of and responsibility for poverty.
TRUE
The military industrial complex is the result of governmental contracting.
TRUE
8. ________ were the centerpiece of George W. Bush's economic policy.
Tax cuts
_______ are programs where the government provides a tax deduction for spending on health insurance and other benefits by both employers and employees.
Tax expenditures
________ are programs where the government provides a tax deduction for spending on health insurance and other benefits by both employers and employees.
Tax expenditures
_____ are programs when the government provides a tax deduction for spending on health insurance and other benefits by both employers and employees.
Tax expenditures.
Which of the following is not a program of forced savings?
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
Which of the following was not part of the no child left behind act of 2001?
That a national test be used to evaluate every student around the country
Which of the following groups receives the most benefits from government's social policies?
The middle class
Which of the following is not an identifiable problem with Social Security?
The political consensus supporting a federal retirement program is crumbling.
Since the welfare reforms of 1996, what is the primary reason for receiving federal cash assistance if one is nonworking and able bodied?
The recipient is caring for children
Since the welfare reforms of 1996, what is the primary reason for receiving federal cash assistance if one is nonworking and able-bodied?
The recipient is caring for children.
42. Which of the following can be concluded from the results of the 1996 welfare reforms?
The reforms have reduced the number of people on welfare but have done little to reduce poverty
Which of the following can be concluded from the results of the 1996 welfare reforms?
The reforms have reduced the number of people on welfare but have done little to reduce poverty.
Which event prompted the federal government to enter the field of elementary education
The soviet Union's launching of Sputnik
Which of the following is NOT a reason why the No Child Left Behind Act has been controversial?
The standards were too lenient and almost every school met them easily.
Which of the following is not a reason why the No Child Left Behind Act has been controversial?
The states were made responsible for setting standards and devising appropriate tests.
Which of the following statements about K-12 education spending is most accurate?
The vast majority of spending for K-12 education comes from the state and local governments, while the federal government contributes a relatively small amount.
Which of the following is not a reason the working poor receive such a small amount of social policy benefits?
The working poor are often considered undeserving by public opinion.
Means testing requires that applicants for welfare benefits show...
Their financial need for assistance
15. Why have politicians always favored using subsidies to promote certain economic activities?
They can be treated as benefits that can be spread widely in response to many demands
Why have politicians always favored using subsidies to promote certain economic activities?
They can be treated as benefits that can be widely spread in response to many demands.
Why have Americans typically been apprehensive about government efforts to reform health care?
They fear reform will be too costly and will jeopardize current health care arrangements.
20. What was the primary problem with private charities before the development of the welfare state?
They would make subjective decisions on who was deserving of aid
What was the primary problem with private charities before the development of the welfare state?
They would make subjective decisions on who was deserving or undeserving of aid.
How does an entitlement differ from a right?
Unlike an entitlement, a right cannot be taken away by an act of Congress.
Which of the following is the best example of the shadow welfare state?
Workplace medical insurance
Which of the following was created during the New Deal?
Works Progress Administration
Which of the following was not included in the congressional plans for health care reform?
a "public option" allowing individuals to acquire medical coverage directly from the government
*19. Social Security is a good example of ________.
a contributory program
Social Security is a good example of:
a contributory program
Which of the following would be a good example of a government program that provides an "indexed" social benefit?
a federally-run program that provides $750 to low-income families in the first year of implementation and that increases payments by 1.5 percent in each subsequent year of the program's operation
unemployment insurance is a ________ program that is funded by the
contributory; federal and state governments
*32. Medicare is a ________ program; Medicaid is a ________ program.
contributory; noncontributory
Medicare is a _____ program; Medicaid is a _____ program.
contributory; noncontributory
Medicare is a ______ program; Medicaid is a ______ program.
contributory; noncontributory
One reason that the AFDC program grew significantly in the 1970s was that
court decisions made it more difficult for the government to legally terminate people's benefits for a lack of eligibility
The number of families receiving welfare
decreased dramatically between 1993 and 2004 but increased significantly between 2004 and 2008.
Monthly Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits
do not exceed the amount of the federal poverty line in any state.
Which of the following programs most benefits the working poor?
earned income tax credits
What is the most significant force determining the distribution of opportunities in the United States?
education
In the United States, the government's right to take private property for public use is referred to as
eminent domain.
43. The idea that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to achieve their goals is called ________.
equality of opportunity
The idea that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to achieve their goals is called
equality of opportunity
The idea that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to achieve their goals is called:
equality of opportunity.
Since the 1930s, American employment and training programs have:
fared poorly in terms of both expense and results.
The G.I. Bill of Rights of 1944 and the National Defense Education Act of 1958 were examples of the...
federal government's approach to education policy during the 1940s and 1950s.
The G.I. Bill of Rights of 1944 and the National Defense Education Act were examples of the
federal government's approach to education policy during the 1940s and 1950s.
*3. The power to raise or lower the tax rate is part of ________.
fiscal policy
The power to raise or lower the tax rate is part of ________.
fiscal policy
Which of the following is an in-kind benefit?
food stamps
In 2007 and 2008, the government faced a housing crisis caused by
forclosures
In 2007 and 2008, the government faced a housing crisis cause by:
foreclosures.
Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, every child in ________ had to be tested yearly for proficiency in ________.
grades 3 through 8; math and reading
Which of the following is the strongest factor in predicting which groups in society receive the most benefits from government's social policies?
groups that are most politically powerful
The first federal government assistance in education came:
in 1785, when the federal government set aside land for public schools.
39. The main change in welfare policies since 1996 is ________.
increased use of noncash assistance
The main change in welfare policies since 1996 is
increased use of noncash assistance.
The main change in welfare policies since 1996 is:
increases use of non-cash assistance.
The periodic adjustment of benefits or wages that takes into account the increased cost of living is called:
indexing
The periodic adjustment of benefits or wages that takes into account the increased cost of living is called
indexing.
When the price level of goods and services increases over several months, it is called:
inflation
14. The best way for Federal Reserve Board officials to help boost a stagnant economy is to.
lower interest rates so that banks can provide more loans at cheaper rates to individuals and businesses
The best way for Federal Reserve Board officials to help boost a stagnant economy is to
lower interest rates so that banks can provide more loans at cheaper rates to individuals and businesses.
30. Part of the reason welfare programs became so unpopular was that...
many Americans came to believe that welfare recipients did not want to work
Part of the reason welfare programs became so unpopular was that
many Americans came to believe that welfare recipients did not want to work
When potential recipients of a benefit establish their genuine need, the government program is called:
means tested.
31. Which of the following is a program of forced savings?
medicare
Which of the following is a program of forced savings?
medicare
What was outdoor relief distributed by private charities?
money
Which group was the first to receive government assistance throughout the United States?
mothers with dependent children
The goals of American social policy are:
often controversial
Since the mid-1990s, by how much has the number of welfare recipients declined in the United States?
over 50 percent
Social case work, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, was largely concerned with:
personal counseling and "mental hygiene."
Social case work, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was largely concerned with
personal counseling and "mental hygiene."
9. Public policy can be embodied in all of the following forms EXCEPT a(n) ________.
petition
5. A way to reduce the disparities in wealth between the rich and poor is called a(n) ________.
policy of redistribution
The idea of _____ was at the heart of George W. Bush's 2005 plan for Social Security reform.
private accounts
Who was in charge of caring for the poor during the 19th century?
private corporations
The central thrust of federal housing policy has been to...
promote home ownership
The central thrust of federal housing policy has been to
promote home ownership.
The central thrust of federal housing policy has been to:
promote homeownership.
Which of the following was NOT one of the goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009?
providing for a national health care system
1. An officially expressed purpose or goal backed by a sanction is a ________.
public policy*
Charter schools are best described as
public schools that are free to design special curricula.
Charter schools are best described as:
public schools that are free to design special curricula.
45. Charter schools are best described as...
public schools that are free to design special curriculum
A policy whose objective is to tax or spend in such a way as to reduce the disparities of wealth between the highest and lowers income brackets is called...
redistribution
*18. The goals of social policy.
reflect changing views about which risks should be borne by the individual or shared by society
The goals of social policy:
reflect changing views about which risks should be borne by the individual, or shared by society.
Over the past three decades, the level of federal payroll tax has _____, and the level of federal corporate taxes has _____.
risen; fallen
What is the shadow welfare state?
social benefits that are distributed by private employers who are being subsidized by the government
Which of the following social policies is currently the most costly to the government?
social security
While the Federal Reserve's decision to cut the federal funds rate is expected to ________ economic growth, its decision to raise the federal funds rate is expected to ________ economic growth.
speed up; slow down
The welfare reforms of 1996 did all of the following except:
take the federal government out of welfare policy, granting all authority to the states.
The Affordable Care Act originally required
that state governments expand their Medicaid programs to cover more poor people or lose all the Medicaid funds that they receive from the federal government.
7. When did Keynesian economic ideas lead to a revolution in thinking about the role of the government in the economy?
the 1930s
When did the American welfare state begin?
the 1930s
2. What event marked the major historical turning point in the relationship between the government and the marketplace?
the Great Depression
What was the most significant education policy developed by the federal government in the 19th century?
the establishment of land-grant colleges
44. What event brought federal attention to elementary school education?
the fear that the Soviets were winning the Cold War through better technology
What event brought federal attention to elementary school education?
the fear that the Soviets were winning the Cold War through better technology
The GI Bill of Rights of 1944 and the National Defense Education Act were examples of:
the federal government's approach to education policy during the 1940s and 1950s
The "shadow welfare state" refers to
the federally subsidized social benefits that private employers offers to their workers.
The housing bubble prior to 2007 was driven primarily by
the increased demand for housing that resulted from a dramatic loosening of lending standards.
Which of the following groups receives the most benefits from the government's social policies?
the middle class
Which of the following groups receives the MOST benefits from government's social policies?
the middle class and the elderly
Which of the following is an example of 19th century "indoor relief"?
the police station
13. What is a key power of the Fed?
the power to expand and contract the amount of credit available in the United States
A cost-of-living adjustment is based on
the rate of inflation
A cost-of-living adjustment is based on what?
the rate of inflation
The "individual mandate" of the Affordable Care Act refers to...
the requirement that uninsured individuals purchase health insurance
The "individual mandate" refers to:
the requirement that uninsured individuals purchase health insurance
The feminization of poverty refers to the fact that
women are more likely to be poor than men.
When was the U.S. Public Health Service founded?
1798
*21. Social Security was established in ________.
1935
When was Social Security established?
1935
social security was established in
1935
37. Medicare was established in ________.
1965
When was Medicare established?
1965
Following the crash of 1929, approximately ________ of the workforce immediately became unemployed.
20 percent
Between 1959 and 2004, the percentage of elderly Americans living in poverty has gone from ___ to ___.
35 percents; 10 percent
Between 1959 and 2012, the percentage of elderly Americans living in poverty went from about ________ percent to ________ percent.
35;10
58. AARP has a membership of approximately ________ members.
40 million
AARP has a membership of approximately _____ members.
40 million
AARP has a membership of approximately ________ members.
40 million
Most unemployed workers receive approximately ________ percent of their previous wages through unemployment insurance.
50
Approximately what percentage of the current federal budget is spent on entitlement programs, such as Social Security and Medicare?
55 percent
In 2010, approximately what percentage of American workers were offered health insurance through their jobs?
60 percent
The Federal Reserve Board is composed of ________ members.
7
Which of the following least explains why the elderly receive a large share of social benefits?
Most members of Congress are themselves elderly or soon will be.
a. popular and receive wide support.
Often controversial
Which of the following is the best description of the changing expectations of government's role in the economy since the 1930s?
People hold the government responsible for a healthy economy.
12. Which of the following statements is true?a. Democrats support higher levels of public spending than Republicans.b. Republicans' support for tax cuts creates a political dilemma for Democrats.c. Democrats support raising taxes on the wealthy.d. Republicans believe that government spending is wasteful and puts a drag on the economy.e. all of the above
all of the above
Poor Americans had strong incentives to establish their eligibility for AFDC in the 1970s because AFDC recipients
automatically received Medicaid and food stamps
11. Which of the following statements is true? a. A majority of Americans believe that taxes are fairly low. b. Republicans in recent decades have supported tax cuts. c. A majority of Americans think that taxes are too high. d. both b and c. e. Democrats in recent decades have supported cuts in social spending.
both b and c
25. The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program is administered...
by the states, with benefit levels varying between states
The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program is administered
by the states, with benefit levels varying between states
The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program is administered:
by the states, with benefit levels varying between states.
Which of the following groups receives the least benefits from government's social policies?
children
Which of the following groups receives the FEWEST benefits from government's social policies?
children and the working poor
Why is it difficult to lobby for the interests of poor children?
children cannot vote
16. Which of the following was important in caring for the poor during the nineteenth century?
churches and religious organizations
Which of the following was important in caring for the poor during the nineteenth century?
churches and religious organizations
Which of the following is not a goal of American social policy?
closing the gap between rich and poor
which of the following is a goal of American social policy?
closing the gap between rich and poor
During the New Deal, ________ theory that a government could boost employment by stimulating demand became quite influential.
John Maynard Keynes's
During the period of the New Deal, ________ theory that a government could boost employment by stimulating demand became quite influential.
John Maynard Keynes's
24. A(n) ________ benefit is one where potential recipients must document their genuine need.
Means tested
*27. Which of the following is an in-kind benefit?
Medicaid
Because there is no provision for long-term care in the United States, ________ has become the de facto program financing nursing home residents when they have exhausted their savings.
Medicaid
________ is the single-largest medical insurance program in the United States.
Medicaid
Which of the following are examples of in-kind benefits?
Medicaid and the supplemental nutrition assistance program
Which of the following is an example of contributory program?
Medicare
Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
Men are more likely to be more poorer than women
Which of the following statements is incorrect?
Men are more likely to be poor than women.
The U.S. Public Health Service was founded in ________.
1798
28. President ________ vowed "to end welfare as we know it."
Bill Clinton
The "feminization of poverty" is... a. based on the reality that women are more likely to be poor than men. b. particularly acute for single mothers. c. both a and b. d. now a moot point in the United States. e. a phenomenon that started in the early twenty first century.
Both a and b
Who are the chief beneficiaries of the "shadow welfare state"?
Middle class
According to the text, why is it difficult to lobby for the interests of poor children?
Children cannot vote.
________ usually refers to a fine or some other form of material restitution, while ________ usually refers to imprisonment.
Civil penalty; criminal penalty
Which of the following statements about Social Security is false?
Contributors receive benefits in strict proportion to their contribution.
*22. Which of the following statements about Social Security is FALSE?
Contributors receive benefits in strict proportion to their contributions
23. The periodic adjustment of benefits or wages that takes into account the increased cost of living is called ________.
Indexing
Which of the following LEAST explains why the elderly receive a large share of social benefits?
Most members of Congress are themselves elderly or soon will be
How did deregulation of the mortgage industry in 1999 help produce the housing crisis of 2007 and 2008?
It allowed many new mortgage companies to form, offering "predatory" loans that people could not afford to repay
How did the deregulation of the mortgage industry in 1999 help produce the housing crisis of 2007 and 2008?
It allowed many new mortgage companies to form, offering "predatory" loans that people could not afford to repay.
Which of the following statements about the No Child Left Behind Act is FALSE?
It creates a standard national test for all students
Which of the following statements about the No Child Left Behind Act is false?
It creates a standard national test for all students.
What was the significance of the Supreme Court case Goldberg v. Kelly?
It held that public assistance benefits could not be revoked without due process of law.
*29. How did the Great Depression change American attitudes about welfare?
It revealed that poverty could be caused by a flawed economic system, not by personal irresponsibility
How did the Great Depression change American attitudes about welfare?
It revealed that poverty could be caused by a flawed economic system, not just by personal irresponsibility.
6. During the New Deal, ________ theory that a government could boost employment by stimulating demand became quite influential.
John Maynard Keynes's
34. When did the American welfare state begin?
The 1930s
Which of the following statements about the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) is FALSE?
The FRB is part of the Department of the Treasury.
The most powerful institution in determining America's monetary policy is
The Federal Reserve Board
Monetary policy seeks to influence the economy through...
The availability of money and credit
38. Which of the following statements about noncontributory programs is FALSE?
The existence of these programs date back to the Civil War
Which of the following statements about noncontributory programs is FALSE?
The existence of these programs dates from the Civil War.
Which of the following statements about noncontributory programs is false?
The existence of these programs dates from the Civil War.
*33. Which of the following statements about noncontributory programs, such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Medicaid, is most accurate?
The federal government provides only some of the funding for these programs, and, as a result, citizens receive very different levels of benefit in different states
Which of the following was a key part of President Obama's overhaul of No Child Left Behind?
a proposal that states could apply for waivers that would exempt them from some of the requirements of the No Child Left Behind
Which of the following was NOT included in the congressional plans for health care reform?
a public option allowing individuals to acquire medical coverage directly from the government
Congress's 2003 Medicare reform bill
added a prescription drug benefit to the package of health benefits provided to the elderly.
40. There are considerable disparities in benefits from state to state in noncontributory programs because...
state governments are given grants in aid from the federal government to establish and operate their own programs rather than having one uniform national program
There are considerable disparities in benefits from state to state in noncontributory programs because
state governments are given grants-in-aid from the federal government to establish and operate their own programs rather than having one uniform national program.
There are considerable disparities in benefits from state to state in noncontributory programs because:
state governments are given grants-in-aid from the federal government to establish and operate their own programs rather than having one, uniform national program
________ are government grants of cash or other valuable commodities, such as land, that are used to promote activities desired by government leaders.
subsidies
Social Security provides a vital role for younger people by providing...
survivor benefits to those whose parents die or become disabled.
41. The welfare reforms of 1996 did all of the following EXCEPT
take the federal government out of welfare policy, granting all authority to states
